I haven’t blogged in …. forever!

I heard back from Del Monte foods about the pears from China. Here’s what they said:

Dear Ms. Ezell,

Thank you for your letter about Del Monte Diced Pears in Plastic Cups. We’re glad you took the time to contact us and appreciate the opportunity to respond.

The vast majority of Del Monte products are produced in the United States. Some, however, such as Mandarin Oranges, are not grown in commercial quantities in the U.S. and must be sourced from overseas locations. Also, due to the large amount of products Del Monte produces, we sometimes need to purchase fruits and vegatables from outside the United States so that we can ensure a continuing supply of high quality products for our consumers at an attractive price. In order to provide the freshest product possible, these fruits and vegatables must be packed immediately in the vicinity where they are harvested. Likewise, some minor ingredients used in our products are not manufactured domestically, and must be sourced from foreign sources.

Regardless of the country of origin, please know that Del Monte’s strict U.S. quality and operations standards apply to all of our products. Our pesticide practices, water purity standards, sanitation requirements, finished product quality, and all other standards and procedures apply equally to our U.S. and non-U.S. products. Additionally, all of our fruit and vegatable products packed outside of the U.S. are clearly labeled with the country of origin.

Thank you again for your letter. We hope our products will be completely satisfactory in the future.

Sincerely,

Susan M. Smith
Consumer Affairs Representative

So…. that’s that. I will check labels from now on and try and buy from local growers and always growers from the U.S. AND…. she didn’t even send me a discount coupon for a Del Monte purchase… odd.